What do you think is the key quality for a great business leader, and how would you promote and teach this quality to our clients here at AlphaSights Ltd?
Business research and leadership development research has shown that there are many qualities that influential leaders possess. Rather than having you rattle off all the noble qualities, your interviewer is looking to hear you speak about one important quality of a great leader. Speak about why you feel this quality is important in leadership and how you would promote this quality with your clients if hired for the position.
"Through my years of working with high-level executives and CEOs and all the great publications I have read, I believe that vision is one of the key components of any influential leader. While many skilled managers know what it takes to get the job done and do an excellent job of conveying that message, a genuine leader sees for the future to drive business to new levels while also having the foresight to put that vision into action. I have worked with leaders on reflecting on their visions and giving them the tools to help project their vision into words with their staff. I'd love to bring these ideas to the leadership development programs here at AlphaSights Ltd."
"I believe that the promotion of teamwork and cohesiveness is one of the key qualities of successful leaders. I've witnessed too many teams and businesses fail because a leader was too stubborn to delegate work and trust others around them to help get a job done. I've always stressed the importance of teamwork by promoting a trusting environment for my leaders and showing them the importance of not micromanaging. I have many great examples of outstanding leaders who delegated work and trusted their staff to work as a team."
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
There are many key qualities, but I think the first ones that are top of mind include vision and teamwork. Successful leaders have the ability to step back and examine the macro view in order to deliver a vision that inspires and generates buy-in from their team. At the same time, it is important for a successful leader not to entirely remove him or herself from the micro, or else they will risk missing key information that can make or break the business. By working successfully with teams, leaders can stay plugged in to the microenvironment strategically, ensuring the vision is successfully executed and offering any needed feedback along the way (positive or otherwise). Embracing the "big picture" view in order to create a vision means learning to delegate, which is not always easy and takes time and coaching. In my career, I've had to learn that I can't control everything and that it's ok to let things go in order to elevate overall strategy by developing a more future-focused, holistic vision.
Rachelle's Feedback
You offer an excellent overview of a great business leader. Also, a good job qualifying your skills, in the end.
"There are many key qualities a business leader should have, but the first ones that come to mind include having a vision and being focused on teamwork. Successful leaders can step back and examine the macro view to deliver a vision that inspires and generates buy-in from their team. At the same time, a successful leader can remove themselves from the micro to avoid missing key information. By working successfully with their teams, leaders can stay plugged into the microenvironment strategically, ensuring the vision is successfully executed, offering any needed feedback along the way (positive or otherwise). Embracing the big picture view to create a vision means learning to delegate, which is not always easy and takes time/coaching. In my career, I've had to learn that I can't control everything and that it's ok to let things go to elevate overall strategy by developing a more future-focused holistic vision."
Unlock all 35 AlphaSights Ltd questions
Unlock expert responses for AlphaSights' rigorous case and client-focused interviews.
Get Started